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The Bible tells us that: “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” Recently, I have been thinking about the act of listening. In looking up the definition of both these words I found this: Hearing vs. Listening
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Hearing is a passive and automatic physical response to sound that requires no effort.
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Listening is a voluntary choice that requires focus, concentration, and mental processing to create meaning.
Since these two words have similar but not exact meanings, it is possible to hear and not listen. I heard the Prime Minister of Canada give a speech earlier today. I love the sound of the French language but did not understand a word that he said 😊It sure sounded great though. I believe that when the Bible tells us that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God, there is an additional step God wants us to take, that step is listening.
Once we take the step of listening and understand what the word states we are able to apply it to our lives. I have a new kitten. He is adorable, mischievous, hears perfectly well (vet confirmed it) but does not listen. His name is Fabian. When I call him by name and say “come here” I may get just the flick of one ear. On rare occasions he comes. He hears but he chooses not to listen. We also have the option of hearing the word but choosing not to listen. We know that if the Bible says it, if God said it, it is the truth. We can use this truth to set ourselves free, if we listen and apply it to our lives.
I recall when I was in High School, the teacher would assign homework at the end of the class. Invariably someone would say at the next class that they did not “hear” the homework assignment. I remember her saying on more than one occasion “there is none so deaf as those who don’t want to hear”. It is also sometimes referred to as “selective hearing”. 😊
Not everything we read in the Bible may sit well with us. Sometimes, we may want to hold on to a sin that we have grown particularly fond of. Something that the flesh enjoys. Then we read where Jesus says we must: deny ourselves take up our cross and follow Him. Ouch! That means putting the flesh to death. It means walking in the Spirit and not fulfilling the lusts of the flesh. Thank God that we are saved by grace and not through our own attempts at living a sin free life.
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